Roundabout



Sept. 5, 1933. l... s. HUMP'HREY ROUNDABOUT Filed Jan. 28, 1951 Illlllllll l Patented Sept. 5, 1933 f APATENT OFFICE A RoUNDABoU'r v Lee S. Humphrey, Fargo, N. Dak., assigner tol Maude E. Breuer, Park Rapids, Minn.

Application January 28, 1931. Serial No. 511,730

2 Claims. (Cl. 272-33) y This invention relates to playground apparatus for children and especially to an improved roundabout or merry-go-round. l

It is an object of my invention to provide a strong, extremely simple roundabout structure adapted to withstand heavy usage and capable of being manufactured at low cost.

It is a further object to provide a device of the class described especially constructed for compact disposition of the several parts for shipping and adapted to be very quickly and easily assembled by a person having little knowledge of mechanics.

Another object is to provide a strong, rigid roundabout construction which will accommodate a large number of children; which will minimize the danger from accidents during its operation, and which may be unevenly loaded without injury or danger of fracture to any of the parts thereof.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of an embodiment of my invention; y

Fig. 2 is a Vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 showing the thrust bearing for supporting the revoluble frame;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 showing the manner in which the seat sections are attached together and to the outer ends of the supporting arms, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the castings or attachment members for securing the railings and radial brace bars to the supporting arms.

In the embodiment of rmy invention illustrated the revoluble frame of the roundabout is sup-y ported from a heavy upright post 6 which may be of tubular construction, the lower end of which is secured or set in a heavy base 7 preferably constructed of concrete and usually disposed below the ground level. A suitable hub collar 8 is revolubly supported from the top of post 6 and to this end I provide an efiicient type of thrust bearing which will be mounted within the upper end of the supporting post. The form of bearing illustrated includes a cylindrical bearing box 9 55 which may tightly fit the interior of the tubular post 6 being supported from the upper edge therevUl of by out-turned flanges 9a. A short supporting shaft l0 ismounted vertically within bearing box 9 and carries at its lower end aV truncated conical head 10a between which and the lower end of bearing box 9 is disposed a series of roller bearing elements 11. The upper end of shaft 10 is reduced and threaded and receives the depending bossed portion of the hub collar 8, said collar being clamped to the shaft by means of an internally threaded knob ornut 12. A packing box 13 surrounds the upper portion ofshaft 10 and is supported from the upper edge ofthe bearing box and, as shown, is packed with some suitable absorbent compressible material 14. l

The revoluble frame of my device includes a series of radially arranged supporting arms 15 which may be constructed from heavy pipe and and having short horizontal portions 15a at their upper ends which are secured by bolts 16 to the 75 flange of hub collar 8. Supporting arms 15 extend outwardly and downwardly having substantially straight and inclined medial portions and downwardly curved lower ends 15b to which are secured threaded pipe elbows 17. Short seatsupporting bars or pipes 18 are threadedly secured to elbows 17 and extend outwardly and radially with reference to the frame, lying substantially in a horizontal plane, and forming extensions of the arms.

A series of seat sections 19 are secured to and supported from the several bars 18. These seat sections may comprise heavy boards having their ends cut on lines extending radially with reference to the axis of the revoluble frame. The adjacent ends of the several seat sections are rigidly connected together and to the horizontal bars 18 by attachment plates 20 which underlie the bottoms of the adjacent ends of the boards 19 and also underlie the bar 18. Suitable bolts 21 rigidly connecting the ends of the plates with the seat sections and other bolts 22 extend throught the bars 18 and are secured tothe medial portions of the plates. The seat sections 19 cooperate to form a large annular seat and moreover serve to reinforce and strengthen the revoluble frame.

Railing sections 23 are interposed between the outer portions of the supporting arms 15 and are disposed the proper distance above the level of the annular seat to cooperate in forming a protective railing as well as a grip and back rest and to further brace and reinforce the frame structure. A bearing collar `24 fixed to the intermediate portion of supporting post 6 and as shown is provided with a set screw 24a for attachment to the post. A

Cil

l l-O :flanged hub 25 bears against the upper end of collar 24 and a series of straight radial brace bars 26 extend from said hub having their inner ends rigidly secured by bolts 26a to the flange of said hub, the outer ends of said brace bars being connected with the outer portions of supporting arms 15.

I prefer to rigidly secure the-outer ends `of .the bracebars26as well as the ends of railingsections. 23 to the outer portions of the supporting arms 15 by means of integral attachment members which may be in the form of castings 27, clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. Members 27, include an outer curved channel 27a which may be of semi-circular cross section and is adapted .to snugly engage: the inner edge of one of the supporting arms l5.. symmetrical arms 271) extend laterally fromthe portions 27a angled properly thereto and channeled to receive the ends of the railing sections: .and a channel 27e extends rearwardly and latverally' from the medial portion of channel 27a bisecting .the .obtuse .angle .dened by the center `lines of the arms 27h and adapted to receivevfrom below, the outer end .of one of the brace .bars 26. The several channels of the attachment elements are bored to receive attachment bolts and a vstrong reinforced joint is formed vbetween thel Aseveral members. The brace bars 26 and railing sections `23 .are interposed to exert the proper' thrusts for .bracing purposes and to secure a strong truss effect.

yIn-,operation it will be seen that the revolubleframefis mounted ,with very free rotation, the weight thereof being supported mainly from the upper thrust bearing at the top of `the supporting `post 6. yThe weight of the inner ends of radial brace bars 26 is supported by the adjustable bearing .collar 24 and the anged hub 25 surrounds post 6 confining the tilting movement of the revoluble frame when it is ,unevenly loaded .and receiving the lateral thrust from brace bars 26,. Ifdesired the collar 24 may be made considerably larger and `flanged hub 2,5 may loosely surround the post to .allow some swinging or tilting movement to .the revoluble frame as well as the rotative movement.

It will be noticed that the s'eat sections are disposed substantially flush with the extensions or pipes 18 forming parts of the supporting arms and that further no projecting elements or dangerous parts protrude from the entire frame.

The protective railing made up of the tubular sections 23 prevents the children from falling inwardly, while affording a hand grip and back rest. The 4railing sections furtherY are interposed between the outer portions of the supporting bars reinforcing the structure of the frame.

`It will be obvious that -the device may readily be knocked down by merely detaching the upper ends o f the supporting arms l5 and removing the radial brace bars 26, the attachment brackets 27 and ,thevattachment plates 20 which connect the ends of the seat sections with the projections 18 of kthe supporting arms. The parts of my device may then be disposedin a small compact bundle :ing post, a hub revolubly supported in the upper l'end of saidpost, a series of radially arranged 90 :supporting arms: extending outwardly and downwardly from said hub, and terminating in out- `turned-seat supporting ends, seat sections secured between Asaid supporting ends and reinforcing the bottom of the frame formed by said arms,

second hub surrounding-the medialportion of lsaid vertica1.post,.a series of radial brace bars 'fixed at their inner ends to said lastmentioned yhub and having their outer ends thrust against intermediate points of said supporting. arms, raili100 .ing sections extending circumferentially .of said .frame and each having its ends interposed between and bracing said supportingarms at'the rsame level asthe points of thrust .of said radial brace bars andintegral attachment brackets each securing the adjacent endsof two of'said railing sections and the outer end of oney o'f .said brace bars to one of said supporting arms, said .brackets each having three diverging channels, the-.center .lines of which lie substantially in a common plane "T10 :and a fourth channel Ifor attachment yto one :of said supporting arms, the center line of said last mentioned channel intersecting the said plane at-.an angle.

2. A roundabout comprising a vertical support- T15 ing post, a hub revolubly mounted'atthe -upper end vof said post, ya series of radially farranged supporting arms extending outwardly and downwardly from'said shub and having Vportions ad-I jacent their-outer portions extended ldownwardly i1220 from the upper portions, seatsections secured ,between the .outer ends of said supporting arms and reinforcing the frame formed by said arms,

Yrailing sections extending` `circumferentially of said frame and interposed with thrust eiect be- 1225 tween said downwardly extendedportions of-said supporting arms andabove the level Vof said seat sections. a second =hub `element .surrounding the medial portion of .said .supporting post, ;a .series of radial brace bars secured at their inner endslBO `to 4said last mentioned ,hub element .and thrust thereagainst and having their outer .ends thrust against said supportingarms with truss effect in cooperation with said railing sections and integral attachment brackets disposed inwardly of said Y supporting arms, each securing the adjacent'ends of two of said railing sections and the outer end of oneY of said brace bars to one of said supporting arms and .each having sockets for receiving and engaging said `last mentioned elements. 1.40

` LEES. HUMPHREY. 

